Brantley Gilbert Tour Is ‘Hell’ of a Ride

Brantley Gilbert kicked off the 2013 leg his Hell on Wheels last night (Jan. 31), in Independence, Mo. The singer-songwriter, who is up for ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year, admits it was a bit of an adjustment to play in larger venues.

"It's kind of crazy because, at first when you walk in, you focus on the people right up front and it looks like you're in a club," Brantley tells The Boot. "Then if you look at the arena seats and it starts going up, and all the crazy stuff they've put up behind you, you realize it's a bigger commotion than it used to be. We've had a blast."

The 28-year-old will be joined by Kip Moore for the new dates, along with his returning tourmate, Brian Davis. "It's gonna be wide open," he says. "Kip has two songs just rocking up the charts; he's got a lot of momentum right now. And then we've got my boy Brian Davis on the first leg. He's close as kin to me ... We're wound up and we're ready."

In addition to his big tour, Brantley says he is also working on a new set of tunes, which should hit shelves later this year. Keep track of all of the Georgia native's shows here.